Nerius Log #2: The Fay Forest, Part I

The Players:
 
Anchises Tarquinius					Magus (John)
Atratus							Magus (Dave)
Dedecus							Magus (Chris)
Dirnano, filius of Ferrita, follower of Bonisagus	Magus
Somnium Lupus						Magus (Shannon)
Stagnum Os						Magus (Scott)
Timidus Rene						Grog
Gerard							Grog
Vincent of the Shield					Grog
Brother Alan						Head Chirurgan
Father Pierre						Abbot
Don the Betrayer					Evil Magus

**
** From the Memoirs of Henry of Louton, Volume VII

...and then I arrived at the Monastery of Saint Nerius, the fabled
magical saint.  I had come because it seemed, with the Church meeting
The Magi, there would be much knowledge, and I assumed that I had much
to learn.  Shortly after my arrival, I began to ask the magic-users of
their wonderful adventures before my arrival.  For some reason, they
all refused to speak of their first days, when one of them, a magician
named Don, decided he didn't want to stay with the covenant.  However,
they were all happy to tell me about what happened in their wonderful
visit to the Elven Forest, home of the Fay.

The sorcerers seemed saddened by the fact that they had to leave
behind one of their members.  He had apparently become violently sick
several nights before because some horses broke free from their
stables.  However, Dedecus seemed resolved to the situation.  Surely,
he realized that there would be some other time when he could see the
beautiful Faerie lands.

So, then, the sorcerers set out the view the Elven Forest, land of the
Fay.  However, it was not just a site-seeing tour, for Dirnano had
been given a vision of a beautiful Silver Laurel tree, and he knew
that below it lay an artifact which could be used to give the Covenant
of Saint Nerius an aura of magic.  And, in his hand, Dirnano carried a
silver leaf from that tree, like a mythical figure, leading the magi
to paradise.

**
[] From the Secret Diary of Somnium Lupus

Thus, mother, we set out towards the lands of Faerie, that I had left
behind near a score of years before.  It was with some trepidation I
went, for the Unseelie Fay had never been kind to me in my youth.
However, I went knowing that our cause was true, and we would either
measure up to the dangers, or fall, as the weak rightfully should.

Within the forest, I rapidly cast a spell, which began to lead me
truly to the Silver Laurel tree that we sought.  I blessed you for
this speed, for I wanted to stay in these realms no longer than
needed.  But, alas, our luck was not to hold.  As we moved closer to
our destination, the woods became darker, and, I could swear, more
malevolent.  And then, the forest was alive with a dark infection.
All about us were the unseelie fay, shooting sharp arrows, laced with
some magical poison.  And, after I was hit but twice, I fell to the
ground, unconcious, and at the mercy of the foul beings that I had
fled so many years before.

**
** From the Memoirs of Henry of Louton, Volume VII

And then, it has been reported to me that the magi were involved in a
fierce battle, that rivals the siege of Troy and perhaps even the
barbarian attacks on Rome.  For, all around them were these dark,
demonic creatures, who had pretended to be peace-loving faeries, but,
when undisguised were shown to be dark beasts sent by the devil.

First fell Somnium, the valiant wolf.  Soon, however, Atratus was
turning faeries into embers, and Anchises was cutting them in twain
left and right.  And, for a time, it seemed that the valiant warriors,
crusaders that they were, might triumph over the evil forces.  Yet the
demonic changelings, realising this, attacked them from hiding,
dropping nets upon the unsuspecting questors.  Only the warrior Rene,
who had strategically withdrawn much earlier, and the magi Dirnano and
Anchises escaped this foul trap.

Yet, these three were not soon to forsake their friends, and they
returned rapidly.  Anchises destroyed their magic, and Dirnano, the
magus of theories, suddenly came out of his shell, casting a powerful
faerie ward which drove many of the faerie away.  And thus, the other
adventurers were restored to action, and with flame and blade, the
evil demons, masquerading as elves, were soon driven away.

And, the brave questors immediatelly turned to their friend, Somnium,
who had been felled by foul changeling magic, and began to see what they
could do to restore him.

**
** Loud Boasting from two grogs, heard in the Peasant's Hoe, a tavern
** in Nort Sur Erdre, a large town to the North of the Covenant of
** of Saint Nerius
** Dutifully recorded by a travelling minstral who made a wonderful
** comedy out of the story, and made a fine living for several months,
** before dying under mysterious circumstances.
** Alledgedly between a grog by the name of Gerard and another by the name
** of Vincent

V: "And so I saw the poor dog had been hurt by those faerie critters
and their nasty little bows, so I was trained in helping them poor
hurt critters, so I set out to fix him up."

G: "I'll be damned you did, Vincent.  You took out your bloody knife
you did and started cutting off his damned hair!"

V: "Well, I shore should know more about it then you Gerard.  I mean,
I've worked on them sheep for many a year, and when a sheep gets hurt,
you cut off it's wool first, so you don't dammage it.  You do the same
damned thing with any kind of animal, I know."

G: "Well it sure didn't look any better, after you'd cut off a big
hunk of its fur, it just looked cold, and I could just think, that's
going to be one unhappy mage when he wakes up."

V: "Surprised you could think at all at that point.  You were going
after your bottle of spirits even faster than you are now.  You looked
wetter than a sheep out in rainstorm."

G: "And I seem to remember putting you in your place then, when you
told me I was drunk, just like I'm about to now, Vincent."

V: "Was this before or after I threw you to the ground, Gerard?"

G: "You mean when you pushed me onto the dog, and cracked his ribs for
him with your overweight body, you oaf?"

V: "If you hadn't gotten drunk, the magus never would have been hert
by our tussle, and maybe you would've had a little more manners then!"

** A short time later, a brawl broke out in the Peasant's Hoe, leading to
** the ejection of two grogs, and the escape of one minor minstrel, to
** write his final, and greatest piece.

**
[] From the Secret Diary of Somnium Lupus

And when I awoke, mother, I was glad to hear that we were returning to
the nearest town, unfit to continue our journey.  And indeed, I felt
unfit, as if a tree had landed on me while I slept.

And so, we made our quickest preparations to flee this place, but they
would be in vain, for, while trying to exit the forest, we were
confronted by a tall beautiful woman.  Another Fay.